World Rugby reveals refs for RWC pool matches

NEWS: World Rugby has announced the referee appointments for the 40 matches that comprise the pool stage of this year’s World Cup in France.

South Africa’s Jaco Peyper will have the honour of refereeing the opening match between hosts France and New Zealand at Stade de France on September 8.

He will be assisted by Karl Dickson (England) and Christophe Ridley (England) with Tom Foley (England) as the TMO.

Peyper is no stranger to opening matches, having refereed the England versus Fiji opener at World Cup 2015 at Twickenham.

On a big opening weekend that will see four referees make their World Cup debuts in the middle, France’s Mathieu Raynal will take charge of England v Argentina in Pool D, while Australia’s Angus Gardner will referee world champions South Africa against Scotland in Pool B.

Raynal will be in charge of South Africa’s second pool match against Romania.

South Africa will then have Ben O’Keeffe in charge for their big clash against Ireland.

Luke Pearce will referee South Africa’s final pool match against Tonga.

• CLICK HERE to view the World Cup 2023 pool phase match official appointments

England’s Pearce, meanwhile, will be in the middle for the final match of the pool stage, the Pool C meeting between Fiji and Portugal in Toulouse on October 8.

Wayne Barnes (England) is set to take part in a record fifth World Cup.

Barnes has refereed 21 matches on the World Cup stage, the other 11 officials have 24 matches between them.

The most-capped referee in Test history, Barnes is one of four officials who will referee four matches in the pool stage, the others being compatriots Pearce and Dickson along with Raynal (France).

Four referees will make their World Cup debuts in the middle in Andrew Brace (Ireland), Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Matthew Carley (England) and Dickson (England).

Joy Neville (Ireland), the first female match official in men’s World Cup history, will be a TMO for five matches, starting with Italy v Namibia in Saint-Étienne on September 9.

The appointments follow confirmation that the Foul Play Review (Bunker) process will operate at World Cup 2023 after positive initial trials.

Chairman of the Match Officials Selection Committee Graham Mourie said: “I would like to extend my congratulations to the Match Officials selected for the World Cup 2023 pool stage.

“Like the players, they have earned their place on merit and have worked incredibly hard, making many sacrifices to be in contention for selection. These men and women are not only representing their nations, they are also representing the global officiating fraternity and truly are ‘everyone’s team’, playing their full part in enabling players to perform to their best at our pinnacle men’s event and we should all get behind them.”

World Rugby High Performance 15s Match Official Manager Joël Jutge added: “The journey to the World Cup is never easy for match officials. There are fewer roles in sport with as much public scrutiny, but I am proud of how the team has responded to the ups and downs, always being open and acting with integrity.

“We arrive at the pool phase having worked incredibly hard. We have a strong bond, a superb work ethic and an unwavering spirit. There is respect and understanding between the officials and the teams and we are now focused on playing our part in what promises to be a very special Rugby World Cup 2023.”

Referees: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia), Wayne Barnes (England), Nic Berry (Australia), Andrew Brace (Ireland), Matthew Carley (England), Karl Dickson (England), Angus Gardner (Australia), Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand), Luke Pearce (England), Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Mathieu Raynal (France), Paul Williams (New Zealand).

Assistant Referees: Chris Busby (Ireland), Pierre Brousset (France), James Doleman (New Zealand), Craig Evans (Wales), Andrea Piardi (Italy), Christophe Ridley (England), Jordan Way (Australia).

Television Match Officials: Brett Cronan (Australia), Tom Foley (England), Marius Jonker (South Africa), Brian MacNeice (Ireland), Joy Neville (Ireland), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand), Ben Whitehouse (Wales).

See below for a country-by-country list of appointments

POOL A

New Zealand: Jaco Peyper, SARU (v France, Sept 8); Luke Pearce, RFU (v Namibia, Sept 15); Matthew Carley, RFU (v Italy, Sept 29); Wayne Barnes, RFU (v Uruguay, Oct 5).

France: Jaco Peyper, SARU (v New Zealand, Sept 8); Ben O’Keeffe, NZR (v Uruguay, Sept 14); Matthew Carley, RFU (v Namibia, Sept 21); Karl Dickson, RFU (v Italy, Oct 6).

Italy: Andrew Brace, IRFU (v Namibia, Sept 9); Angus Gardner, RA (v Uruguay, Sept 20); Matthew Carley, RFU (v New Zealand, Sept 29); Karl Dickson, RFU (v France, Oct 6).

Namibia: Andrew Brace, IRFU (v Italy, Sept 9); Luke Pearce, RFU (v New Zealand, Sept 15); Matthew Carley, RFU (v France, Sept 21); Mathieu Raynal, FFR (v Uruguay, Sept 27).

Uruguay: Ben O’Keeffe, NZR (v France, Sept 14); Angus Gardner, RA (v Italy, Sept 20); Mathieu Raynal, FFR (v Namibia, Sept 27); Wayne Barnes, RFU (v New Zealand, Oct 5).

POOL B

South Africa: Angus Gardner, RA (v Scotland, Sept 10); Mathieu Raynal, FFR (v Romania, Sept 17); Ben O’Keeffe, NZR (v Ireland, Sept 23); Luke Pearce, RFU (v Tonga, Oct 1).

Ireland: Nika Amashukeli, GRU (v Romania, Sept 9); Wayne Barnes, RFU (v Tonga, Sept 16); Ben O’Keeffe, NZR (v South Africa, Sept 23); Nic Berry, RA (v Scotland, Oct 7).

Scotland: Angus Gardner, RA (v South Africa, Sept 10); Karl Dickson, RFU (v Tonga, Sept 24); Wayne Barnes, RFU (v Romania, Sept 30); Nic Berry, RA (v Ireland, Oct 7).

Tonga: Wayne Barnes, RFU (v Ireland, Sept 16); Karl Dickson, RFU (v Scotland, Sept 24); Luke Pearce, RFU (v South Africa, Oct 1); Angus Gardner, RA (v Romania, Oct 8).

Romania: Nika Amashukeli, GRU (v Ireland, Sept 9); Mathieu Raynal, FFR (v South Africa, Sept 17); Wayne Barnes, RFU (v Scotland, Sept 30); Angus Gardner, RA (v Tonga, Oct 8).

POOL C

Wales: Matthew Carley, RFU (v Fiji, Sept 10); Karl Dickson, RFU (v Portugal, Sept 16); Wayne Barnes, RFU (v Australia, Sept 24); Mathieu Raynal, FFR (v Georgia, Oct 7).

Australia: Luke Pearce, RFU (v Georgia, Sept 9); Andrew Brace, IRFU (v Fiji, Sept 17); Wayne Barnes, RFU (v Wales, Sept 24); Nika Amashukeli, GRU (v Portugal, Oct 1).

Fiji: Matthew Carley, RFU (v Wales, Sept 10); Andrew Brace, IRFU (v Australia, Sept 17); Karl Dickson, RFU (v Georgia, Sept 30); Luke Pearce, RFU (v Portugal, Oct 8).

Georgia: Luke Pearce, RFU (v Australia, Sept 9); Paul Williams, NZR (v Portugal, Sept 23); Karl Dickson, RFU (v Fiji, Sept 30); Mathieu Raynal, FFR (v Wales, Oct 7).

Portugal: Karl Dickson, RFU (v Wales, Sept 16); Paul Williams, NZR (v Georgia, Sept 23); Nika Amashukeli, GRU (v Australia, Oct 1); Luke Pearce, RFU (v Fiji, Oct 8).

POOL D

England: Mathieu Raynal, FFR (v Argentina, Sept 9); Nika Amashukeli, GEO (v Japan, Sept 17); Jaco Peyper, RSA (v Chile, Sept 23); Andrew Brace, RFU (v Samoa, Oct 7).

Japan: Nic Berry, RA (v Chile, Sept 10); Nika Amashukeli, GEO (v England, Sept 17); Jaco Peyper, RSA (v Samoa, Sept 28); Ben O’Keeffe, NZR (v Argentina, Oct 8).

Argentina: Mathieu Raynal, FFR (v England, Sept 9); Nic Berry, RA (v Samoa, Sept 21); Paul Williams, NZR (v Chile, Sept 30); Ben O’Keeffe, NZR (v Japan, Oct 8).

Samoa: Paul Williams, NZR (v Chile, Sept 16); Nic Berry, RA (v Argentina, Sept 21); Jaco Peyper, RSA (v Japan, Sept 28); Andrew Brace, IRFU (v England, Oct 7).

Chile: Nic Berry, RA (v Japan, Sept 10); Paul Williams, NZR (v Samoa, Sept 16); Jaco Peyper, RSA (v England, Sept 23); Paul Williams, NZR (v Argentina, Sept 30).